Method of concentrating ores



Patented Au 11, 1925.

' NITEDJ STATES PATENT orrics.

JOSEPH HIDY JAMES, 015' PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO CLARENCE P.

, EYRNES, 0F SEWICKLEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF GONGENTRATING CIR-ES.

1W0 Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH HIDY JAMEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Concentrating Ores, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

In my copending application, Serial No. 272,567, filed January 22, 1919, I have described a process of making aldehyde fatty acids from the hydrocarbons occurring in petroleum, shale oil or the oilfrom the low temperature distillation of coal, or their distillates. The process therein described is a process of partial combustion wherein air is mixed with the vapor of the hydrocarbon and the mixture passed through a catalytic agent under certain temperature and other conditions. When properly carried out, the process will produce a product having for its major content a mixture of the aldehyde fatty acids, together with aldehydes and usually alcohols, alcohol aldehydes and liquid waxes. By varying the said process I can produce from petroleum fractions for f example, mixtures of the above compounds in which either the aldehyde acids or the i aldehydes will predominate. I have found that the mixtures thus produced, particularly those having the highest content of aldehyde acids, have a high value as flotation agents for ores.

In the flotation industry the oils used at present are usually divided in two classes according to their functions; namely, collectors, such as coal tar solutions or fuel oil, these being usually added in the ball mill before feeding the material into the first flotation machine, the purpose of scuh collectors being to wet or coat the finely divided ore particles; and second, frothers such as creosote or pine oils which serve to carry up the coated ore particles to the top of the agitated liquid bath. In these groups, the collectors are usually the cheaperores or tars while the frothers are usually the more expensive wood or coal tar creosotes or the still more expensive pine oils.

I have discovered that my oxidation prod- Application filed April 23, 1919. Serial No. 292,088.

ucts containing the aldehyde fatty acids are valuable both as combination collectors and frothers; and also for use as frothers only, some other cheap oil or tar being used for the collector. That is, my product may be used both as a collector to wet or coat the ore and also as a frother in the agitation tank; or it may be used in the agitation tank as a frother alone. where the said partial oxidation products are used asfrothers the best results are obtamed by using as a collector therewith a heavy hydrocarbon fraction or distillate of the same series as that from which the aldehyde mixture is prepared. Byusing some of the lighter distillates, such as kerosene and the lighter fuel oil fractions for partial oxidation into the aldehyde fatty acid mixture, I can, with considerable advantage, use the heavier hydrocarbon fraction or fractions of the same series for the collector.

I have tested my improved agent with the well known J anney, flotation testing apparatus and will now describe some of the results obtained.

In each case the partial oxidation product which I employed was approximately as follows;

Per cent.

Aldehyde fatty acids (80% free and 20% combined as waxes) to 85 Aliphatic aldehydes 30 to 10 Aliphatic alcohols and unchanged I have also found that hydrocarbons 10 to- 5 In experiment No. 1, a galena ore running about 18% lead with some silver was used,

No. '1, with the frothing not quite a) marked.

In the third experiment, the partial oxidation product containing the aldehyde acids was made from the fraction of California petroleum, boiling between 250 and 350 C. The amount used was .4 cubic centimeter. The ore was a galena carrying 7% lead sulphide, crushed to 60 mesh. As a collector I used .6 cubic centimeter of California oil fraction distilling between 350 and 400 C. A fine froth was obtained with good carrying up of the values, vary rapid concentration and a very clean concentrate.

In the fourth experiment a copper pyrites ore was used carrying 20% copper pyrites, crushed to 60 mesh. The partial oxidation product employed was made from kerosene known as Pittsburgh lamp oil. TlllS was used both as collector and frother, .8 cubic centimeter being used. Good froth and good carrying up were obtained, although the froth was somewhat scummy in appearance. The concentration was rapid and the concentrate was clean.

In the fifth experiment, a copper pyrites ore bearing 8% total sulphides was crushed to 60 mesh and used in experiment. As a collector I used the fraction of California petroleum boiling between 350 and 400 Q, .5 cubic centimeter being used. As the frother I used the partial oxidation product containing aldehyde acids made from the fraction of California oil, boiling between 250" and 350 (1, .8 cubic centimeter being used. In this experiment. a fine froth, a rapid carrying up and fairly clean concentrate were obtained, with some slime.

In the sixth experiment I used a copper pyrites ore carrying 10% of sulphides, which ore could only be slightly concentrated by the best pine oil practice known.

In this case the collector used was the California oil fraction boiling between 350 and 00" C., .6 cubic centimeter being used. The frother was the same partial oxidation product as in example 5, .7 cubic centimeter being used. In this case the sulphides were brought up fairly rapidly, the froth was good and the concentrates clean.

This experiment was varied by adding, after the main portion of the copper sulphides was brought up, anamount of zinc sulphides equal to 10% of the ore with .3 cubic centimeter more of the collector and 1 cubic centimeter of concentrated sulphuric acid. The zinc sulphide was brought up and a perfect concentrate obtained.

The sixth experiment was also again modified by using .6 cubiccentimeter of the same collector with 1.5 cubic centimeters of concentrated sulphuric acid. This was fol lowed by .4 cubic centimeter of the same frother as example 5. In this case a good froth and as good a concentration as in any of these experiments were obtained.

The advantages of my invention result from my discovery of the peculiar advantage and functions of the aldehyde fatty acids in the art of mineral flotation. As my partial oxidation product can be obtained relative cheaply from hydrocarbons, a much cheaper frother than those now employed is afforded with fully as good, and in many cases better results. Furthermore, my material may be used both as a collector and frother, if desired. By purchasing crude oil and using the lighter distillates for obtaining my aldehyde fatty acid mixtures, I have found, as above shown, that the lower distillate or distillates of the same series are of particular advantage as collectors in the flotation process. That is, when the aldehyde acid mixtures are obtained from a certain oil or distillate, the heavier distillates of the oils having the same base are specially valuable in the collecting portion of the process.

Changes may be made in the hydrocarbons used in producing my partial oxidation products, the percentage of aldehyde acids in the products may be varied, other compounds in the mixture such as aldehydes, alcohols. etc. may be removed or partially removed, and other changes may be made without departing from the invention, since I consider myself the first to discover peculiar advantages and functions of aldehyde fatty acids in flotation processes.

I claim:

1. In the-process of concentrating ores, the step consisting in adding to the frothingdtank a liquid containing aldehyde fatty ac1 2. In the process of concentrating ores, the steps consisting in mixing the powdered ore with a relatively heavy hydro-carbon, feeding into the tank a liquid containing aldehyde fatty acid, and feeding the ore with the heavy hydro-carbon into said frothing tank.

3. In the process of concentrating ores, the steps consisting in mixing the powdered ore with the heavy hydro-carbon, and adding to the frothing tank a liquid containing an aldehyde acid.

4. In the processof concentrating ores, the steps consisting in mixing the powdered ore with a collector, then feeding the same into a frothing tank containing water, and feeding into said bath a liquid containing an aldehyde fatty acid.

5. In the process of concentrating ores, the steps consisting in using a collector containing a mixture of heavy hydro-carbons, and employing a frothing agent containing aldehyde fatty acids.

6. In the process of concentratingores, the steps consisting in using a frothing agent containing an aldehyde acid, and mixing the powdered ore with a collector containing a heavier hydrocarbon of the same series as that from which the aldehyde acid 5 is prepared;

7. In the process of concentrating ores,

the steps consisting in adding to the frothing tank a liquid partial oxidation product from hydrocarbons and containing aldehyde fatty acid. I

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH HIDY JAMES. 

